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Friday, 20 November 2015

Review: A Winter Flame by Milly Johnson

'Tis the season to be jolly...But
can Eve find happiness through the frost...?

Eve has never liked Christmas, not since her
beloved fiancé was killed in action in Afghanistan on Christmas Day.
So when her adored elderly aunt dies, the last thing she is expecting is
to be left a theme park in her will. And one entirely dedicated to Christmas....

And that's not the only catch. Her aunt's will stipulates that
Eve must run the park with a mysterious partner, the exotically named Jacques
Glace. Who is this Jacques, and why did Aunt Evelyn name him in her will?

But Eve isn't going to back down from a challenge. She's
determined to make a success of Winterworld, no matter what. Can she overcome
her dislike of Christmas, and can Jacques melt her frozen heart at last...?

Eve hates Christmas, especially since
her fiancé Jonathan lost his life at war in Afghanistan on Christmas
Day. When Eve's aunt Evelyn passes away, her Christmas nightmare worsens as she
is left ownership to half of a Christmas theme park in her will. Not only that
but she is forced to work with mysterious Jacques Glace who has also been left
half of the theme park.

Eve is instantly suspicious of Jacques - how did he know Evelyn?
And why did she decide to leave him such a big gift in her will? Eve is
determined to make the park a success for her aunt but can she work effectively
with Jacques, especially when they have such conflicting ideas?

It is clear that Eve has not grieved for her fiancé and
manages to cocoon herself in her own little world, working so hard that she
falls ill with shingles. This means that Jacques is left in charge of the park,
much to her disapproval, but on arrival back at the park she is surprised to
see what a good job Jacques has done. Nonetheless, she is still suspicious of
him and we are left wondering whether or not she will get to the bottom of the
mystery surrounding Jacques Glace and whether they can they work together to
make Winterworld a success.

This is the first Milly Johnson book I've read and I absolutely
loved it. I fell in love with the characters, they're so well written and you
truly feel a part of the story. I felt particularly attached to the character
of Effin Williams as he came from my town of Carmarthen - the bits of Welsh in
the book made me howl as I needed no translation and the rude language he used
was actually funnier in his mother tongue.

There were several moments in which the book kept me guessing.
For example, there's the mystery behind Jacques Glace, with his background not
apparent until nearer the end. There is also Violet and Pav's relationship, where
certain things only add up as the story develops. I loved the odd chapters
made up of 'The Daily Trumpet' newspaper mishaps, especially as they have a
significance near the end of the book.

A
Winter Flame made me feel so Christmasy, it's hard not to feel excited for this
time of year with all the references to Santa, reindeer, snow etc and it
made me want to visit a place like Winterworld. The book made me laugh and cry
in equal measures and there were times when it really pulled on my heart
strings. Without doubt one of my favourite Christmas books, I'd encourage you
all to read it.